Collapsible anchor and buoy



Oct. 19, 1965 A. LOMBARDO 3,212,110

COLLAPSIBLE ANCHOR AND BUOY Filed Nov. 6, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. PAUL A. LOMBARDO A T TORNEV 19, 1965 P. A. LOMBARDO 3,

COLLAPSIBLE ANCHOR AND BUOY Filed Nov. 6, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. PAUL A. LOMBARDO A T TOPNE V United States Patent 3,212,110 COLLAPSIBLE ANCHOR AND BUOY Paul A. Lombardo, Rockford, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Nov. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 150,598 5 Claims. (Cl. 93)

This invention relates to a collapsible anchor and buoy and more particularly to such a buoy-anchor combination which can be accurately fired from a pneumatic gun or the like.

One method of locating underwater objects is by the use of sonar. This method is limited because of the low angles at which sonar reflections can be effectively utilized. Thus, within limits, the ability to detect the presence of an underwater object by sonar is inversely related to the distance between the object and the sonar-carrying vessel. A problem arises, then, .in accurately marking the location of the underwater object, several hundred feet from the vessel, while keeping its image under view on the sonar screen.

Prior art methods for accomplishing this marking of the location of the underwater object involve the dropping of anchors with attached buoys of conventional design from row boats or similar small craft or aircraft. These prior art methods suffer from certain defects. It is extremely difiicult, especially in inclement weather, to recognize when the marking vessel or aircraft, especially if in motion, should release the buoy and anchor to accurately mark the area located on the sonar screen. Coordination between the sonar vessel and the vessel or aircraft dropping the buoy-anchor combination presents a considerable problem. A great deal of time is also required ot mark each individual site by these prior art methods. Another problem, which severely limits the speed of operations and the number of sites which can be marked, is that of storing and handling of conventional anchors and dan buoys in any useful numbers.

An object of the present invention is to provide a buoyanchor combination which can be accurately fired by means of a device such as a pneumatic gun for which the range-air pressure relations have been established.

Another object of the invention is to provide a buoyanchor combination including mechanical means to separate the buoy and the collapsible anchor upon striking water and to cause the anchor to expand thereupon, so as to facilitate accurate marking of the area of interest.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a gun for firing the buoy-anchor combination of this invention and to provide an assembly of such a gun with the buoyanchor projectile.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 (broken because of paper size limitations into two parts, FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B) is a cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the invention showing the buoy-anchor projectile seated in the pneumatic gun (shown in phantom and partially broken away) in the position for firing but with a handling sleeve in place as it would be prior to insertion of the projectile in the FIG. 2 is an elevation view, taken along line 22 in FIG. 1B, of a portion of the buoy-anchor projectile showing the anchor collapsed;

FIG. 3 is an elevation view, in cross section, of part of the projectile showing the anchor in collapsed position in phantom and in expanding position in solid as it hits the water;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional elevation view of the anchor with its legs locked open as it sinks in the Water away from the buoy; and

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of the anchor taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4.

As previously indicated, the present invention involves an anchor and buoy assembly constituting a projectile to be thrown to within a small radius of a submerged object located by some means such as sonar remote from the submerged object. The submerged object can then be located at any subsequent time by means of the buoy, known as a dam buoy, which has thus been anchored in the neighborhood of the submergedobject.

The mechanism for firing the projectile comprising the anchor and buoy assembly is similar to a conventional mortar in its projectile trajectory and is similarly aimed with elevation and azimuth adjustments. Conveniently, compressed air is used as a propellant, a portion of the barrel or tube of the projecting device being used as an air chamber of fixed volume, and connected to a compressed air supply with proper pressure regulation and valving for uniform charging and safe operation. A sear mechanism .is built into the side of the barrel and engages a groove in the projectile. The projectile carries a seal to confine the air in the chamber created between the closed end of the tubular projecting device and the projectile itself, the chamber being connected to the compressed air supply. When the sear is disengaged, the compressed air expands, pushing the projectile out of the tube. Since the volume .is constant when a projectile is engaged by the scar, and the pressure is easily duplicated, the push given the projectile can be accurately controlled, and since elevation and deflection of the gun can be readily duplicated with simple mechanisms known in the art, the projectile can be repeatedly placed where desired with a high degree of accuracy.

The projectile itself is comprised of two principal parts: a buoy (or float) and an anchor. These two principal components are assembled so that they are handled as a single unit and remain as a unit when fired, the shock of water impact separating the buoy from the anchor and also releasing for expansion the legs of the anchor which prior to firing had been kept folded for compactness. The anchor sinks to the bottom while the buoy remains at the surface, paying out the mooring line from the special reel built into the mechanism.

Reference is now made to the drawing. The projectile is shipped and loaded in the position shown in the cross section in FIG. 1. Since the gun or mortar illustrated is of a muzzle-loading variety, a sleeve 2 is used to facilitate handling of the projectile and to protect the working mechanisms. Upon loading, the projectile is inserted into the muzzle of the mortar float end first and pushed with a ramrod (not shown) out of the sleeve 2 and into the barrel until it contacts the stop 4 and the sear 6 is snapped into place by a spring 8. The barrel 10 of the gun is actually several times the length of the projectile. Thus, when the projectile is in place as shown in FIG. 1 ready for firing and with its rear end against stop 4, the handling sleeve 2 would actually not any longer be on the projectile although it is shown on the projectile in FIG. 1 for economy of drawings. As the projectile is inserted in the muzzle of the gun it enters the barrel until the enlarged rolled rim or flange or the like 12 of the handling sleeve 2 bears against the muzzle end of the barrel. T hereupon, as the ramrod pushes on the head 14 of the anchor shaft 16, the projectile is pushed out of the sleeve 2 into the barrel 10 of the gun, the sleeve 2 being, of course, left outside the barrel of the gun for future use if needed. The sleeve 2 thus also assures proper orientation of the projectile during loading, since it indicates the way to start loading: float end first. Since the rim 12 of the sleeve 2 is in contact with the muzzle of the mortar while loading, the loading pin 18, during the insertion of the projectile into the gun, slides out of the sleeve detent groove 20, and then out of the sleeve 2 into the barrel without being released or ejected from the projectile. The pin 18 serves to prevent the hook 22 from unlatching the anchor assembly from the buoy assembly during handling, loading, and the acceleration phase of firing. The engagement of the pin 18 with the detent groove 20 of the sleeve 2 performs the double function of having the sleeve 2 abut against the pin 18 to retain the pin against ejection and having the pin 18 prevent the buoyanchor combination from sliding out of the sleeve, or, which is the same thing, the sleeve sliding off the buoyanchor assembly.

When the projectile is fully home and the sear 6 has latched into place, compressed air is introduced through the port 24 to a predetermined pressure, either through a flow control and pressure regulator or simple valving and gauge assembly (not shown). When the proper elevation and deflection of the gun are attained, the projectile is released with a high degree of accuracy of trajectory toward its target by pulling the sear 6 from the sear groove 26.

While the projectile is in the bore of the gun, the push from the compressed air propellant is transmitted to the anchor assembly through the float body 28, the loading pin 18, and the hook 22. As the projectile leaves the bore, completing the acceleration phase of firing, there is no longer any push from the propellant, and the greater mass of the anchor now pulls the float through the medium of the hook assembly, inasmuch as the larger skin area of the float body 28 creates a drag due to skin friction with the surrounding air. This effect has a two-fold purpose; one, since transverse pressure has been relieved on the pin 18 and the friction between it and the outer surface of the hook 22 on the one hand and the Wall of the hole 30 in the skirt 32 on the other hand has disappeared, longitudinal pressure from the ejection spring 34 ejects this pin 18, and two, this stabilizes the projectile and insures nose-first contact with the target. While in flight the anchor legs 36 remain closed, folded essentially into parallelism with the axis of the anchor shaft 16, the legs being held in place by the combined action of the anchor leg locking groove 38 and the coil spring 40.

Upon water contact in the target area, the head 14 of the anchor shaft is suddenly retarded. From this change of velocity two separate actions occur simultaneously. One, the spider 42 and leg assembly 44 continue to move forward along the shaft 16 on which they are slidably mounted, compressing the spring 40. Since the locking groove 38 is rigid with the head 14 by virtue of their rigid connections with the shaft 16, the ends of the legs 36 are released from the locking groove 38 and rotated outward about one quarter revolution about the pivots 46 fixed to the spider 42, this action taking place under the force of springs 48 aided by the deceleration forces present. Locking washer 50 is cammed up and snaps into notch 52 under the force exerted by the extension on springs 48, thus locking the legs 36 in open position. The second action results as the inertia of the float body 28 carries it forward, releasing the hook 22 from engagement. The hook 22 is thereupon rotated about its pivot 54 carried by the locking groove assembly 56 toward a stop pin 58 under the action of spring 60, thus releasing the anchor assembly from the float or buoy assembly;

As the anchor sinks to the bottom, the float remains at the surface, and the mooring line 62 unwinds from the coil 64 and is prevented from fouling on hook 22 by the stop pin 58. The tapered form 68 on which the waxed mooring line is wound prevents snarling as the line pays out, the taper allowing the rearward coils of the top layers to be released without disturbing the lower layers, while the wax sufficiently cements the line in place so that the small pull of the float on the anchor readily d releases one coil of line at a time as is required, without disturbing successive coils. A standard fishing tackle snap hook and swivel 70 is used to facilitate attachment of the free end of the line to the buoy while the bitter end of the line is fixed to the anchor. The swivel further aids in preventing tangling of the line.

For greater depths than intended for use with the illustrated embodiment, the assembly can be modified to further include a similar tapered coil of line in the float to double the amount of line available and therefore permit the use of the apparatus in deeper waters.

The float remains vertical for better visibility, since the skirt 32 acts as a ballast after the anchor has been separated.

Although in the illustrated embodiment a rigid float has been shown, the invention also comprehends the use of a balloon, inflated on contact with water from a small cylinder of compressed gas or other source, to form or be included in the float body. A balloon type buoy is highly desirable from the standpoint of compactness and increased visibility, as the float in such an embodiment becomes less restricted in size when actually floating.

Obviously many other modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A gun and projectile assembly including a pneumatic gun and a generally cylindrical projectile; said gun comprising a generally cvylindrical tube portion forming a barrel to snugly receive said projectile and appreciably longer than said projectile, said barrel having stop means defining the fully inserted position of said projectile, and said gun further comprising an air reservoir in communication with said tube portion to admit air under pressure to said tube portion against the back end of said projectile to project said projectile from said gun; a sear carried by said gun and means on said projectile coacting with said sear to retain said projectile in said barrel against said stop means; means for sealing said projectile in airtight relation with said barrel; said projectile comprising a buoy and anchor; said buoy having a float skirt for receiving, retaining and guiding said anchor; said skirt being provided with a hole for receiving a hook on said anchor to latch said anchor to said buoy, and for receiving a pin to retain said hook in said hole in latching engagement with said skirt; a pin carried within said skirt; means urging said pin outward through said hole; a hook on said anchor for engaging in said hole to latch said anchor to said buoy; means urging said hook in a direction tending to move the hole-engaging portion thereof transverse to the direction of the length of said skirt; and a handling sleeve for enclosing said anchor and said skirt and retaining said pin in hook-retaining position, said sleeve and said projectile being provided with suflicient clearance between them so that said projectile can be readily pushed out of said sleeve into said barrel, whereupon said barrel retains said pin in hook-retaining position.

2. A projectile comprising an anchor and a buoy; said buoy comprising a generally cylindrical air chamber and a skirt; means on said buoy to cooperate with a sear to retain said projectile in a gun barrel; means carried by said projectile to form a gasatight seal between said projectile and a gun barrel used to fire said projectile; said anchor including a generally cylindrical portion having a hollow section extending within said skirt; said skirt having an opening through its side wall for receiving a hook and a pin; a pivoted hook carried by said cylindrical portion and engageable through said hole in said skirt with the wall of said skirt to latch said anchor to said buoy; spring means urging said hook to pivot toward the axis of said cylindrical portion; a loading pin carried by said skirt; ejector spring means projecting said loading pin into said hole in said skirt and to intenpose said loading pin between the Wall of said hole and the outside surface of said hook to retain said hook in latching engagement so long as said loading pin is kept, against the action of said ejector spring means, in said interposed position by abutment against an obstruction and, alternatively, by a force urging said buoy and said anchor toward each other to compress said loading pin between said hook and the Wall of said hole; a generally conical form fixed to said anchor within said hollow section and tapered toward the rear of said projectile; a coil of line fastened at its free end to said buoy and at its bitter end to said anchor, wound on said form, and waxed sufficiently to cement the line in place so that a gentle pull on the free end of line releases one coil at a time Without disturbing successive coils; a stop pin extending across the interior of said hollow section to limit pivotal motion of said hook toward the axis of said cylindrical portion and :prevent snarling of said line on said hook; said anchor having a shaft and a head; an anchor leg spider slidably mounted on said shaft; spring means interposed between said spider and said head to urge them apart; a plurality of anchor legs pivotally mounted on said spider; said cylindrical portion having groove means formed therein to engage said anchor legs to retain said legs generally parallel to the axis of said anchor; spring means urging said anchor legs to pivot outward away from said axis of said anchor; a locking Washer displaceably mounted on said shaft; notches on said anchor legs; and spring means urging said locking Washer into engagement with said notches when said anchor legs expand to lock said legs in expanded position.

3. The projectile of claim 2 further including a removable handling sleeve slidable oversaid buoy and said anchor and having a detent groove coacting with said loading pin to retain said sleeve in position encasing said buoy and anchor and to keep said pin in position to retain said hook in latching engagement.

4. A projectile comprising a buoy and an anchor; said projectile being adapted to be fired by a pneumatic gun; means on said projectile for sealing said projectile in gas-tight relation in a gun barrel; means on said projectile for coacting With a sear to retain said projectile in said gun barrel; hook means on said anchor for latching said anchor and buoy together; means responsive to acceleration of said projectile upon firing to prevent said hook means from latching disengagement; means responsive to deceleration of said buoy relative to said anchor to disable said acceleration-responsive means; means operable after disablement of said acceleration-responsive means and in response to deceleration of said anchor relative to buoy to disengage said hook means from latching engagement; said anchor having a shaft and a plurality of anchor legs pivoted for motion relative to said shaft and retained in a position generally parallel to the axis of said shaft; means responsive to deceleration of said shaft relative to said anchor legs for releasing said anchor legs from said parallel position, pivoting said legs to an expanded position away from said axis and locking said legs in said expanded position; and a coil of line carried by said anchor having its bitter end fixed to said anchor and its free end fixed to said buoy.

5. The projectile of claim 4 further including a removable sleeve for encasing said buoy and anchor, said sleeve including means coacting with said accelerationresponsive means for retaining said sleeve in encasing relation to said buoy and anchor and for keeping said acceleration-responsive means in position to prevent disengagement of said hook means from latching engagement.

No references cited.

SAMUEL FEINBERG, Primary Examiner.

ARTHUR M. HORTON, Examiner. 

4. A PORJECTILE COMPRISING A BUOY AND AN ANCHOR; SAID PROJECTILE BEING ADAPTED TO BE FIRED BY A PNEUMATIC GUN; MEANS ON SAID PROJECTILE FOR SEALING SAID PROJECTILE IN GAS-TIGHT RELATION IN A GUN BARREL; MEANS ON SAID PROJECTILE FOR COACTING WITH A SEAR TO RETAIN SAID PROJECTILE IN SAID GUN BARREL; HOOK MEANS ON SAID ANCHOR FOR LATCHING SAID ANCHOR AND BUOY TOGETHER; MEANS RESPONSIVE TO ACCELERATION OF SAID PROJECTILE UPON FIRING TO PREVENT SAID HOOK MEANS FROM LATCHING DISENGAGEMENT; MEANS RESPONSIVE TO DECELERATION OF SAID BUOY RELATIVE TO SAID ANCHOR TO DISABLE SAID ACCELERATION-RESPONSIVE MEANS; MEANS OPERABLE AFTER DISABLEMENT OF SAID ACCELERATION-RESPONSIVE MEANS AND IN RESPONSE TO DECELERAION OF SAID ANCHOR RELATIVE TO BUOY TO DISENGAGE SAID HOOK MEANS FROM LATCHING ENGAGEMENT; SAID ANCHOR HAVING A SHAFT AND A PLURALITY OF ANCHOR LEGS PIVOTED FOR MOTION RELATIVE TO SAID SHAFT AND RETAINED IN A POSITION GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID SHAFT; MEANS RESPONSIVE TO DECELERATION OF SAID SHAFT RELATIVE TO SAID ANCHOR LEGS FOR RELEASING SAID ANCHOR LEGS FROM SAID PARALLEL POSITION, PIVOTING SAID LEGS TO AN EXPANDED POSITION AWAY FROM SAID AXIS AND LOCKING SAID LEGS IN SAID EXPANDED POSITION; AND A COIL OF LINE CARRIED BY SAID ANCHOR HAVING ITS BITTER END FIXED TO SAID ANCHOR AND ITS FREE FIXED TO SAID BUOY. 